“Local democracy is a vital part of the European model of society: The different levels of government and the complex interactions between them, the checks and balances that characterise their relations, the search for cohesion and an understanding of solidarity are the natural products of a healthy democratic process,” stated Andreas Kiefer, Congress Secretary General at the Conference on “The political economy of Japan and the EU”, at Chatham House in London, on 13 November 2015. Addressing the participants to the session on “Local government and new models of political accountability”, he underlined that “decentralisation, giving more power to local politicians, close and accountable to the citizen, is strengthening democracy from the bottom up.” “Our experience of the growth of local and regional democracy in Europe, based on the principles set out in the European Charter of Local Self-Government, is that it leads to greater resilience in our societies” he concluded. Photo: First time ever that Congress documents were presented at Chatham House in London.
